Access Holdings Plc has formally denied a fabricated publication circulating on social media that claimed its subsidiary, Access Bank Plc, would cease banking operations, warning that those responsible are being actively tracked.

In a statement addressed to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), its shareholders, and the investing public, the company confirmed that the circulating post was entirely fabricated and was neither issued nor authorised by Access Holdings or Access Bank.

"Access Bank Plc remains fully operational, safe, well-capitalised and continues to serve its customers," the company stated. "There has been no change to the operations or financial condition of Access Bank Plc or Access Holdings Plc."

Access Holdings said the matter has been referred to regulatory, security, and law enforcement authorities, and that steps are underway to identify and prosecute the individuals responsible for creating and disseminating the false report. As a licensee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Access Bank operates under the supervision of the apex regulator, which has broad mandates to safeguard financial system stability and public confidence in the banking sector.

The company urged shareholders and customers to disregard the circulating post entirely and to rely solely on official communications from Access Holdings, Access Bank, and the NGX, where the group is a publicly listed entity and one of the most capitalised stocks on the exchange.

Access Bank is one of Nigeria's largest commercial banks, with operations spanning multiple countries across Africa and beyond, giving such misinformation significant potential reach and impact. The bank has grown substantially in recent years, including through its 2019 merger with Diamond Bank, and has pursued an aggressive pan-African expansion strategy that extends its footprint into markets such as South Africa, Kenya, and Zambia. In Nigeria, where confidence in financial institutions has historically been sensitive, false reports of a bank shutdown can trigger panic withdrawals, undermine customer trust, and inflict real financial harm on both the institution and ordinary depositors who may act before corrections are issued.

Those behind the fabricated publication are likely to face serious legal consequences. Under Nigerian law, spreading false information capable of inciting panic about a financial institution falls under multiple legal provisions, including the Cybercrimes Act, and regulators regard such conduct as a direct threat to financial system stability.

The original social media post referenced in this report can be found here.